[Back to the Present]
A heavy silence permeated the living room of the mansion. The air felt thick, as if the remnants of that past cold had been carried into the present.
"And that is how the story ends." Alrain said, breaking the quiet. He sat back, looking between the three people who had been listening intently: Arvin, Allen, and his older sister, Yonna. "I don't know who attacked me from behind back then, and I don't know what happened to Allen afterward."
Alrain let out a long sigh, looking directly into his future husband's blue eyes. "And after I heard you mention your name at our first meeting, My Love..." Alrain continued softly, "the memories of that dark past immediately flooded my mind. Everything felt so real, as if it had just happened yesterday."
Hearing the tale that sounded like a living nightmare, Allen and Yonna's eyes were wide. Both seemed to be struggling to process the information. They never imagined that such events, betrayal, death, and such profound regret, had ever occurred in a previous life.
Arvin's reaction, however, was different. He remained calm, though his mind was racing. He wasn't particularly shocked by the concept of regression or past lives, given that he possessed memories from his own previous world.
At that moment, Arvin's focus was fixed on the man who had been Alrain's opponent before his death: Ordion.
Ordion, huh? Arvin mused internally, analyzing the situation like a player strategizing. He was indeed one of the main romance targets and Allen's right hand during the Great War in the original game's plot. But did this character named Ordion actually like Arvin from the beginning in that timeline, just like Allen?
Arvin leaned his back against his chair, staring blankly at the wooden ceiling of the house.
Good grief... Arvin thought, bewildered. Why did the developers of this game make almost every romance target have hidden feelings for Arvin? What kind of plot is this? I'd better try asking Ordion directly about his feelings for me tomorrow to be sure.
He recalled the moment he met Ordion upon arriving at the dormitory earlier that afternoon. Ordion's behavior had seemed normal, like any other student.
It seems Ordion isn't like Alrain. His memories haven't returned from the past. Arvin thought, feeling a slight sense of relief. Thank goodness. It would be incredibly troublesome and dangerous if Ordion were the same as Alrain. If his memories returned, Alrain would undoubtedly beg and insist that I accept Ordion's feelings as well.
"Hey, Alrain!" Allen suddenly called out, his voice breaking Arvin's reverie and pulling him back to reality.
Allen looked at the green-haired man with a thin smile that radiated immense relief. "Doesn't that mean... our hope to start over from the beginning has been realized? In this life, you can express your feelings to him much sooner. And most importantly, I no longer have to be consumed by lies, hating and killing my own hero like I did then, right?"
Hearing Allen's words, Alrain's previously serious expression softened. "Yes, you're right, Allen!" Alrain replied gratefully. "Thanks to this miracle, I can sit here with the bitter memories of my death and stay by Lord Arvin's side, whom I love so dearly. We can ensure that dark future never happens."
In the corner of the room, Yonna watched her brother's face in silence. Seeing the sincere smile that now graced Alrain's features made Yonna's heart feel warm.
My brother truly went through so much despair and pain in his previous life. Yonna thought quietly, her eyes misting over. But seeing him now, by the side of the one he loves... it seems his return to the past is the answer to all his waiting and suffering.
"Sister?"
Alrain's soft call snapped Yonna out of her thoughts. She blinked, realizing that Alrain was staring at her with a very serious expression.
"W-What is it, Alrain?" Yonna asked, flustered.
Alrain shifted slightly, looking at his sister with a burning determination in his eyes. "I will protect you!" Alrain said firmly, a promise that could not be shaken by anything. "I won't let anyone hurt you again! I don't want those dark events to repeat for you. I swear, I will never let you be killed, let alone become a sacrifice for that insane ritual!"
Hearing that cry of hope and protection from her brother, a promise that she would not suffer the same tragic fate, Yonna's heart melted completely. Without a word, she reached out and pulled her brother into a tight embrace, holding Alrain with the deep, protective love of an older sister.
....
....
A few moment later, all attention was entirely focused on Arvin. The blue-haired man seemed lost in his own thoughts. His gaze was empty, piercing through the wooden floor beneath his feet.
Allen, who was sitting beside him, shifted his position. He looked closely at his husband's face, observing the faint lines of confusion etched there.
"Now, explain it to me!" Allen prompted, breaking the silence. His voice didn't sound angry, but rather filled with an affectionate demand. "Why have you been spacing out so much lately? What is actually troubling your mind?"
Hearing the direct question, Arvin's shoulders gave a slight jolt. He turned, looking into Allen's reddish eyes, then shifted his gaze to Alrain, who was also looking at him with deep anticipation. Arvin was reminded of his promise to speak honestly once they were back at the mansion.
Arvin closed his eyes for a moment, then let out a long sigh that sounded incredibly heavy.
"I space out... because I'm thinking about my future." Arvin answered honestly. His voice sounded more fragile than usual. "Now, I have already married the person who was supposed to kill me in the future. And at this moment, Alrain... a person who was so loyal and sincere in his previous life, will soon marry me as well."
Arvin lowered his gaze, staring at his own two hands. "I feel worried about the storyline of my own life after altering my future so brutally like this."
"I don't know what to do now." Arvin continued to explain, pouring out the contents of his mind that had felt so deadlocked. "Right now, it's as if I no longer have a clear purpose after marrying the two of you. Because honestly, Allen, my goal in approaching you from the very beginning was to awaken your power so that you could grow stronger and protect yourself. But... you refused and chose to marry me instead."